Excelencias, (Excellencies),
Distinguidos delegados, (Distinguished delegates)
Estimados colegas y amigos, (Colleagues and Friends)
Buenos días.
En nombre de la Secretaría Técnica quiero dar la bienvenida a todos los participantes a este ejercicio final del programa CHEMEX GRULAC (On behalf of the Technical Secretariat, I would like to welcome all participants to this final exercise of the CHEMEX GRULAC programme).
It is a great honour and a pleasure to join you here in Santo Domingo for this important CHEMEX exercise for the GRULAC region.
At the outset, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Government of the Dominican Republic for its warm hospitality and strong leadership in hosting this exercise.
I am particularly grateful for the comprehensive organisational and logistical support provided by the Government of the Dominican Republic in co-organising this event.
The exemplary cooperation extended by the Government to the OPCW Technical Secretariat demonstrates the Dominican Republic’s unwavering commitment to the goals of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
It is also a testament to the ongoing support of the Dominican Republic to the OPCW mission and activities.
CHEMEX GRULAC is not merely an OPCW initiative.
This exercise is the result of the proactive leadership of GRULAC National Authorities, who have consistently advocated for specialised, large-scale training tailored to the needs of Latin America and the Caribbean.
I wish to express my deep appreciation to the National Authorities; your dedication to identifying regional needs and gaps, and addressing them, is commendable.
My sincere thanks go also to the European Union, the Government of Canada, and the Government of Spain for their generous voluntary contributions in support of CHEMEX GRULAC.
These contributions are indispensable in strengthening regional resilience and in preventing and responding to chemical incidents across the world.
I also extend my gratitude to all participating States Parties, partner organisations, first responders, and medical personnel and observers, whose commitment and professionalism have contributed to the success of this initiative.
In particular, I wish to commend the instructors who have come from Argentina, Barbados, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Panama, Spain, and Uruguay.
Their collaboration with the OPCW in providing technical support for the exercise has been outstanding.
Their expertise, capabilities, and willingness to contribute, highlight the shared commitment to strengthening regional preparedness and response capacities.
CHEMEX GRULAC is the first multi component exercise of this nature that the OPCW has conducted in the region.
It is not a one-time effort, but a continuous journey.
CHEMEX Africa, held in Algeria in 2023, demonstrated the value of large-scale, field-based cooperation.
Building on that foundation, CHEMEX GRULAC allows us to take the lessons learned, and tailor them to the specific needs of this region.
This ensures that the progress made in one part of the world informs the strategies we use elsewhere.
The Technical Secretariat is committed to improving programmes based on past experience, and to ensuring that the response is comprehensive, from the initial phases in the affected area to the treatment of victims in hospitals.
CHEMEX GRULAC represents a milestone for the OPCW and our States Parties.
For the first time, the exercise encompassed the full spectrum of chemical emergency response by incorporating a medical component, reflecting a more realistic approach to preparedness and response to chemical incidents.
By integrating these medical segments on the management of exposure to chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemicals, we ensure a seamless response from the moment an incident occurs in the field, to the final treatment of victims in hospitals.
This experience has also highlighted the importance of cooperation and coordination among responders.
Under Article X of the Chemical Weapons Convention, all States Parties have both the right to request assistance and the responsibility to be prepared to respond to chemical incidents.
CHEMEX brings this responsibility to life and illustrates the type of support provided by the OPCW, together with its partners, to build collective resilience to chemical threats.
Over the past two weeks, this exercise has brought together first responders and health professionals from across the GRULAC region to train, collaborate, and test their preparedness in realistic and complex scenarios.
Through these activities, participants have strengthened coordination among civilian, military and technical actors, enhanced their ability to respond to chemical incidents, and deepened their understanding of the challenges they may face in real-life situations.
At the heart of these efforts are the first responders.
Firefighters, health professionals, hazardous materials specialists, and civil defence teams—men and women who are on the frontline in times of crisis.
Their readiness, professionalism, and courage are essential to saving lives and mitigating the consequences of chemical incidents.
CHEMEX represents an investment in their capacity, their safety, and their effectiveness.
Exercises like CHEMEX are a core part of the OPCW’s mission.
That mission extends beyond disarmament.
It includes supporting States Parties in developing the necessary legislative framework for implementing the Convention, building the capacity to prevent, prepare for, and respond to chemical incidents, and fostering international cooperation to ensure that chemistry is used solely for peaceful purposes.
In this regard, CHEMEX GRULAC takes forward a number of important priorities for the Organisation.
In delivering this exercise, the Secretariat has remained deeply committed to inclusivity and accessibility, recognising the diverse languages spoken across the GRULAC region, and balancing technical integrity with accessibility.
CHEMEX GRULAC also demonstrates the importance of South–South cooperation.
The exchange of expertise within the region, grounded in shared realities and challenges, is a powerful tool for building sustainable capabilities.
By working together, States Parties in the GRULAC region are strengthening networks, enhancing interoperability, and building a solid foundation for mutual assistance in times of crisis.
This is exactly the kind of cooperation envisioned under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
CHEMEX also helps bridge any divides between international commitments and national implementation.
It allows States Parties to test systems, identify gaps and strengthen coordination in a controlled but realistic environment.
The lessons learned from this exercise will support participating States Parties in strengthening their national systems, including legal frameworks, response plans, coordination mechanisms, and operational capacities.
At the same time, these insights will enable the OPCW Technical Secretariat to further tailor its support to the needs of States Parties in the region and beyond.
On this note, I wish to express the Secretariat’s support for the ongoing efforts here in the Dominican Republic to develop national implementing legislation.
We are encouraged by the development of the draft law, as comprehensive national legal frameworks are vital to closing security gaps.
The Technical Secretariat stands ready to support this process to a successful conclusion, including through the organisation of the Influential Visitors Programme for the Dominican Republic.
OPCW efforts to support States Parties through exercises like this one, are of particular importance in the current global context.
Since the completion of the destruction of declared chemical weapons stockpiles in 2023, our work related to preventing re-emergence, and responding to new challenges has gained importance.
The challenge is no longer just the visible stockpile; it is scientific and technological developments, shifting geopolitical landscapes and new types of actors.
Our gathering here in Santo Domingo takes place against the backdrop of a volatile global security situation.
Recent and ongoing conflicts remind us of the ever-present danger of chemical warfare, and of the potentially catastrophic environmental and human impact when industrial or chemical sites are caught in the crossfire.
These hazards do not respect borders; they can create long-term health crises and zones of contamination that persist long after conflict has ceased.
This reality underscores why the work we do here at CHEMEX—preparing for the worst-case scenario—is more vital than ever.
In addition to this, the threat landscape is being reshaped by the rapid and accelerating advances in science and technology.
Technologies such as robotics, 3D printing, synthetic biology and drones will provide immense benefits to us all.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and quantum computing cut across these technologies and heighten their impact.
But, taken together, these technologies and others also significantly lower the technical barriers for acquiring and using toxic chemicals for malicious purposes, for States and non-State actors alike.
The threat of chemical terrorism is particularly pertinent in this context.
We cannot, therefore, afford to be simply reactive; we must ensure that our verification and response capabilities are as sophisticated as these emerging technologies.
As we look toward the future of the Convention, the OPCW is increasingly focused on the dual-use nature of emerging technologies, including AI.
In response, the OPCW is proactively integrating these themes into our capacity-building efforts.
During CHEMEX GRULAC, our training sessions on first response and the medical segment specifically touch upon the theoretical implications of AI and automated technologies.
By including these, we ensure that first responders and health professionals are not only equipped for the threats of today but also for the challenges of tomorrow.
In the GRULAC region, these global threats intersect with local vulnerabilities.
Our colleagues across Latin America and the Caribbean must navigate the complexities of high urban density, bustling industrial ports, and—crucially for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS)—the compounding effects of climate-related disasters.
CHEMEX GRULAC is one step in addressing these challenges.
By integrating medical segments with first-responder training, we are building resilience.
It is through this sustained investment in cooperation and preparedness that we ensure no state, regardless of its size or resources, stands alone against the threat of chemical attacks or incidents.
As this CHEMEX exercise comes to a close, we must ask ourselves: What comes next?
The value of this initiative lies not only in what has been learned here, but in how those lessons are applied going forward.
I encourage all participating States Parties to integrate lessons learned into national policies and procedures.
States Parties should also continue training and capacity-building efforts, strengthen coordination across agencies and sectors, and deepen regional cooperation within GRULAC.
Preparedness is not a one-time effort. It is a continuous process that requires commitment, investment, and adaptation.
Let me conclude by reaffirming a simple but powerful principle: Our collective security depends on our collective preparedness.
CHEMEX GRULAC demonstrates what we can achieve when we work together across borders, across disciplines and across institutions.
I thank you for your dedication, your partnership, and your leadership.
Muchas gracias for su amable atención. [Thank you for your kind attention.]